“If any single role in the art world has been questioned, dismissed, vindicated and debated more than any other, it is arguably that of the art critic. In Chicago alone, panels, exhibitions, and blog posts galore have declared an apparently ceaseless â€œcrisis of criticism.â€ While the reasons for this insecurity are many, prominent amongst them is the fact that the traditional role of the critic â€” interpreting art works and art movements for the viewing public â€” has been co-opted by curators and artists themselves.

In this second session of the @work SALON series, we decide to put the so-called â€œcrisisâ€ behind us and ask how art writers understand their roles in the cultural landscape today. How can criticism itself can become a creative and performative experience? What is the criticâ€™s role in the production of meaning? Can art writing flourish in its own right, independent of the work itself? If the traditional print publication and the amateur blog both have a hard time generating revenue, then what are innovative, productive publishing models that could do better? What do arts writers see on the horizon of their profession?